Influence of cytokine gene polymorphism on the risk of rheumatic heart disease - A meta-analysis

RHD is an inflammatory disease resulting from interactive immune, genetic, and environmental factors. Various, epidemiological studies have shown the association of genetic variants of cytokine genes with a predisposition to RHD. However, the results from different populations are inconsistent. Therefore, we carried out a meta- analysis of twenty-three published case-control studies and the results indicated that TGF-β1 +869 T/C (T vs. C: OR = 7.68, 95% CI = 1.62-36.50; TT + CT vs. CC OR = 1.83, 95%CI = 1.39-2.41), TGF-β1-509 (T vs. C: OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.33-5.75), TNF-α(AA vs. GG: OR = 4.93,95% CI = 2.83-8.58; A vs. G: OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.13-4.12) and IL-1β −511C/T (CC + CT vs. TT: OR = 1.35, 95%CI = 1.02-1.78; C vs. T: OR = 2.36, 95% CI = 1.66-3.37) were significantly associated with increased risk of RHD. On the other hand, IL-10(−1082)G/A polymorphism (GA vs. AA: OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.36-2.33; G vs. A: OR = 1.90, 95% CI = 0.58-6.22) and IL-6-174 G/C (CC + GC vs. GG: OR = 0.68, 95%CI = 0.32-1, C vs. G: OR = 1.14, 95% CI = 0.82-1.60) were not associated with modified RHD risk. The meta-analysis results were similar in Asians and non-Asians. Therefore, cytokine gene polymorphisms play important role in the genetic susceptibility of RHD in rheumatic fever patients.